TWO KOREAS EXCHANGE SHOTS NEAR BORDER

CROSSFIRE BETWEEN THE TWO KOREAS
TENSIONS FLARE IN WATERS LONG DISPUTED

WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea raised the stakes Wednesday in the fight-talk contest for advantage in negotiations with live-fire artillery exercises that once again put tensions on edge between the two Koreas. Yesterday, North Korea fired artillery rounds towards its disputed sea border, which prompted a barrage of warning shots from the South's military and increasing tensions on the divided peninsula. The Washington Times reports that, "no casualties or damages were reported, and analysts said the volley - which the North announced was part of a military drill - was likely move by Pyongyang to highlight the need for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War." From its western coast, North Korea fired approximately 30 artillery rounds, and immediately, the South responded with 100 shots from a marine business on the island near the sea border, as claimed by an officer at the Joint Chiefs' of Staff in Seoul. North Korea earlier declared the area a no-sail zone, telling ships to stay away during test-firing, and explained that it would continue to fire rounds. The officer said that the North's artillery fire landed in it's own waters while the south fired into the air. Later Wednesday, North Korea issued a statement claiming it had fired artillery off its coast as part of an annual military drill and insists that it would continue to do so in the future. According to the Washington Times, "the western sea border - drawn by the American-led U.N. Command at the close of the 1950-53 Korean War - is a constant source of tension between the two Koreas, with the North insisting the line be moved further south."

On the other hand, the United States criticized North Korea as "provocative" and urged restraint after it fired artillery shells near its disputed maritime border with South Korea. "Although this is a bilateral issue between the North and the South, we clearly are discouraging of any further acts of aggression which would in any way increase the tensions along this historically disputed boundary area," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

This world is full of suffering due to the deluding potency maya. … So we are mourning, we take birth, we die, take birth, “punar api janamam - punar api maranam”. Again and again we take birth. Again and again we die. It is told: if we surrender to the Supreme Lord Krishna, he is the Supreme Lord, and we surrender to him, then he will save us from suffering. He will save us. And how to surrender? Surrender is easy: “Oh Lord. You are the master of the universe. You are the creator of this universe. You are the protector of this universe. You are the savior of the universe.”.

Śrīla Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Mahārāj:
“Lecture in Novo Mesto, Slovenia 26.6.1999”
Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Mission.